WHAT an entrance these children must have made when they arrived at the church fete.

No doubt plenty of heads turned as the weird and wonderful costumes came into view.

The children were all pupils at Iffley School in Oxford in 1954.

Mums must have worked for weeks creating the fancy dress outfits and getting their offspring ready for the big day.

Once every bit of clothing was in place, the children set off on a procession through the village. Ahead of them were a boy and a girl carrying a huge banner telling everyone that the school was celebrating its centenary.

The prize for the most original fancy dress went to John Wraight who, according to the Oxford Mail, “had a thatched roof on his shoulders and a bell tower on his head”.

The fete was opened by Mrs Kenneth Riches, wife of the Bishop of Dorchester, and raised £175 for church funds.

The programme included a display of gymnastics by boys and a play by members of the Girls’ Friendly Society.

As we reported (Memory Lane, January 18), the school served the village for more than a century. One highlight of the year was the May Day celebrations.

Kathleen Cullen, whose four children went to the school, recalled: “The girls would have flowers in their hair, and the boys would carry garlands on long poles.

“They all went to a church service in the morning. The mothers went as well.

“Then the children would dance round the village and collect money for their May Day tea.”

One mystery, however, is why the school was celebrating its centenary in 1954 when, according to historical records, it opened in 1838.

Can anyone tell us? Let me know.